Community rallies around preschool director battling cancer

A recent picture of Ruth & Bob Bell with their grandchildren during a recent visit to New Hampshire. Back row: Bob Bell III, Benjamin Bell, 11, April Bell. Front row: Nathaniel Bell, 6, Sierra Bell, 13, Taylor Bell, 4, Ruth Bell and Sydney Bell, 8. A group of parents from GraceWay Academy and Preschool have organized the yard sale for August 8th and 9th at the Grace Presbyterian Church in Ocala, to help Bell with her expenses.

Courtesy photo

By Marian RizzoCorrespondent

Published: Sunday, August 3, 2014 at 8:18 p.m.

Last Modified: Sunday, August 3, 2014 at 8:18 p.m.

A multi-family yard sale will turn a giver into a receiver next weekend when friends and co-workers of Ruth Bell rally on her behalf.

Facts

If you go

What: Yard sale benefit fundraiser

When: 8 a.m. until 2:30 p.m., Friday and Saturday

Where: Grace Presbyterian Church, 2255 SE 38th St., Ocala

Contact: 875-5079

Bell, the director of Grace Building Blocks (soon to be GraceWay Academy and Preschool), is battling cancer and undergoing chemotherapy treatments. Next weekend's yard sale will help with residual expenses not covered by her health insurance.

Organized by Bell's friends and coworkers, the sale will run Friday and Saturday from 8 a.m. until 2:30 p.m. at Grace Presbyterian Church, 2255 SE 38th St., Ocala.

Jessica Crouch, one of the organizers, described Bell as a person who puts the needs of others ahead of her own.

“This woman helps everyone else,” Crouch said. “She puts herself on hold. We all have our problems, our trials, and she's always the one picking us up. Ruth pretty much changed my life and the course and direction I've gone. I was raised to believe love had strings attached. She's the first person that taught me what unconditional love is.”

Bell, diagnosed with breast cancer seven years ago, had a mastectomy and went on a regimen of various treatments. The cancer went into remission but returned a couple of years ago and Bell began chemotherapy.

For the yard sale, more than 40 individuals have collected everything from furniture and antiques to clothing and small appliances. The items are crammed into two storage facilities. Teams of people have signed up to move, sort and label them for the sale.

“We go to different churches, but if anyone needs any type of help, you just shoot out an email,” Crouch said. “It's how we are all connected. It's like a family that just grows and stays together.”

Three of Crouch's children have attended Grace school, and Crouch is involved with a weekly Bible study led by Bell.

“We all feel that we can show our love for her through this,” Crouch said. “We can't cure her cancer, but we can pray, and we can take some of her financial burden off of her.”

Other serious concerns have taken Bell beyond her own physical ailment. Her brother recently had surgery for a brain tumor, and her husband's father died a year ago, shortly after he moved to Ocala. And, Bell has been spending time with her daughter Crystal, who also was diagnosed with cancer and is going through radiation treatments.

Bell sees the efforts of her friends as “a beautiful gift in the midst of a horrible situation.”

“I'm tremendously humbled that they're giving so much of their time and energy on this yard sale,” Bell said. “I'm living a horrendous nightmare right now, and these people are the hands and feet of God's love in my life. It's very tempting to get discouraged, so we have to discipline ourselves to have eyes that see the goodness of God.”

A member of Trinity Baptist Church, Bell has been on staff at Grace for 14 years. In the past, she spent several summer breaks mentoring Cairn University students in an overseas master's program. Bell, who recently turned 60, said she plans to keep on working.

“Some of those preschoolers since I started have recently gotten out their graduation announcements,” Bell said. “It's just been a privilege to get involved with the families' lives. We are not saying there is an end to this. God has a graduation plan for all of us to get to heaven.”

Bob Bell described his wife as a pillar of strength. Married for 39 years, he said Ruth was already battling cancer when he ended up in intensive care with a serious blood clot in his lung seven years ago. Ruth was at his bedside.

“She was supposed to avoid stress and here I was dying,” Bob Bell said. “Since then, her cancer has become more aggressive and has spread. Ruth is very strong in her faith. What she has done in other people's lives, countless Bible studies, helping people to grow, it's typical of what I've seen her doing over 39 years. She advocated for me when I was going through my thing. I believe the Lord's preserving me for something. I think it's to be able to help care for Ruth.”

<p>A multi-family yard sale will turn a giver into a receiver next weekend when friends and co-workers of Ruth Bell rally on her behalf.</p><p>Bell, the director of Grace Building Blocks (soon to be GraceWay Academy and Preschool), is battling cancer and undergoing chemotherapy treatments. Next weekend's yard sale will help with residual expenses not covered by her health insurance.</p><p>Organized by Bell's friends and coworkers, the sale will run Friday and Saturday from 8 a.m. until 2:30 p.m. at Grace Presbyterian Church, 2255 SE 38th St., Ocala.</p><p>Jessica Crouch, one of the organizers, described Bell as a person who puts the needs of others ahead of her own.</p><p>“This woman helps everyone else,” Crouch said. “She puts herself on hold. We all have our problems, our trials, and she's always the one picking us up. Ruth pretty much changed my life and the course and direction I've gone. I was raised to believe love had strings attached. She's the first person that taught me what unconditional love is.”</p><p>Bell, diagnosed with breast cancer seven years ago, had a mastectomy and went on a regimen of various treatments. The cancer went into remission but returned a couple of years ago and Bell began chemotherapy.</p><p>For the yard sale, more than 40 individuals have collected everything from furniture and antiques to clothing and small appliances. The items are crammed into two storage facilities. Teams of people have signed up to move, sort and label them for the sale.</p><p>“We go to different churches, but if anyone needs any type of help, you just shoot out an email,” Crouch said. “It's how we are all connected. It's like a family that just grows and stays together.”</p><p>Three of Crouch's children have attended Grace school, and Crouch is involved with a weekly Bible study led by Bell.</p><p>“We all feel that we can show our love for her through this,” Crouch said. “We can't cure her cancer, but we can pray, and we can take some of her financial burden off of her.”</p><p>Other serious concerns have taken Bell beyond her own physical ailment. Her brother recently had surgery for a brain tumor, and her husband's father died a year ago, shortly after he moved to Ocala. And, Bell has been spending time with her daughter Crystal, who also was diagnosed with cancer and is going through radiation treatments.</p><p>Bell sees the efforts of her friends as “a beautiful gift in the midst of a horrible situation.”</p><p>“I'm tremendously humbled that they're giving so much of their time and energy on this yard sale,” Bell said. “I'm living a horrendous nightmare right now, and these people are the hands and feet of God's love in my life. It's very tempting to get discouraged, so we have to discipline ourselves to have eyes that see the goodness of God.”</p><p>A member of Trinity Baptist Church, Bell has been on staff at Grace for 14 years. In the past, she spent several summer breaks mentoring Cairn University students in an overseas master's program. Bell, who recently turned 60, said she plans to keep on working.</p><p>“Some of those preschoolers since I started have recently gotten out their graduation announcements,” Bell said. “It's just been a privilege to get involved with the families' lives. We are not saying there is an end to this. God has a graduation plan for all of us to get to heaven.”</p><p>Bob Bell described his wife as a pillar of strength. Married for 39 years, he said Ruth was already battling cancer when he ended up in intensive care with a serious blood clot in his lung seven years ago. Ruth was at his bedside.</p><p>“She was supposed to avoid stress and here I was dying,” Bob Bell said. “Since then, her cancer has become more aggressive and has spread. Ruth is very strong in her faith. What she has done in other people's lives, countless Bible studies, helping people to grow, it's typical of what I've seen her doing over 39 years. She advocated for me when I was going through my thing. I believe the Lord's preserving me for something. I think it's to be able to help care for Ruth.”</p>